


and she smells like lemongrass and sleep

by saxonavenue



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival ALL STARS (Video Game), ラブライブ! 虹ヶ咲学園スクールアイドル同好会 | Love Live! Nijigasaki Gakuen School Idol Doukoukai (Anime)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Pining Setsuna, naps
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:07:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28103691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saxonavenue/pseuds/saxonavenue
Summary: There was always a warmth that Setsuna could feel nest within her bones, a warmth that she was sure Kanata was the source of. It wasn’t until Kanata had fallen asleep on the couch in the student council room, whispering out "your voice is my favorite lullaby, Setsuna-chan," that Setsuna was truly able to give a name to the affection that had become rooted in her heart.
Relationships: Konoe Kanata/Yuuki Setsuna
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	and she smells like lemongrass and sleep

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first fic in this fandom and my first fic posted in years, and what better way to start off but with a self-indulgent piece! :> I thought that the side story from Kanata's rainbow rose sr was very cute and decided to expand and let my imagination run wild, so enjoy these sleepy lesbians, and happy birthday Kanata!

Opening the door that led into the courtyard at Nijigasaki High School, Setsuna squinted against the sudden brightness of the afternoon sun as she raised her hand to look around, hoping that she could spot the girl she was looking for. Ayumu and Yuu had asked her to find Kanata before their club meeting; both of them stating that she had mentioned something about a nap after her last class of the day. Setsuna stepped outside, letting out a small sigh as she once again looked around the courtyard. Looking back on it now, Setsuna almost wished she would’ve taken Kanata up on her offer to nap together. Despite her duties to the club and as student council president, a nap did sound quite nice right about now, and over the past few months, Setsuna had come to learn that Kanata liked the addition of her presence to her daily naps. 

Setsuna hadn’t realized how flawlessly she had moved into Kanata's routine and vice versa of Kanata into her own. It had started from an accident after extended practice one day; one that Karin, Yuu, and herself had decided to stay for. They were preparing for a performance at the end of the week and had already agreed on having longer practices, but with it being Wednesday, Yuu had asked them to stay an hour longer than usual. However, she had been terrifyingly adamant about them leaving before 8, as to not overwork themselves. It was around 7 to head back to the clubroom when she had realized not everyone had left yet. Setsuna was stopped in her tracks when she opened the clubroom door and saw a very familiar head of blonde hair asleep on top of a shiny red fabric, a needle in one hand and a pin cushion in the other. Kanata’s blonde hair was laid gently around her, billowing around her like a halo as its owner was gone to the outside world. Setsuna knew that Emma had mentioned that a few costumes still needed to be finished and that Kanata had offered to stay for a while after practice to help. She also knew that Emma hadn’t left yet because she was waiting for Karin, her girlfriend. Looking around the room, Setsuna saw Emma’s practice bag and then heard Kanata let out a small little snore, shifting so her head peeked out from her crossed arms; now facing Setsuna. She let her eyes linger on Kanata’s strawberry blonde hair, now less a halo around the sleepy girl but a scarf of light, wrapping gently around her and making her look untouchable, serene. 

Setsuna was always baffled by Kanata’s ability to fall asleep almost at a whim, anywhere and everywhere she could. Looking at Kanata now, she might as well have been asleep on the finest mattress this side of Japan, but there she was, in a plastic chair on top of the probably itchy fabric, sleeping like a queen. Setsuna kept her eyes on the sleeping blondie and moved around the table to pull up the chair next to her and sit. Letting a small smile settle onto her lips, as she mirrored the blondes’ position. Kanata had always been an enigma to Setsuna; someone who seemed so unmotivated at first glance who was hiding a heart of gold and a soft disposition. However, Setsuna knew better than the lazy but kind face that Kanata put on. She had seen the blonde in front of her work just as hard as the rest of them, wanting to show what she could do as an idol; show what she was capable of to the school, to her sister. Kanata had made it very clear from the start about how much she loved and cared for her younger sister, as well as the club. Setsuna remembered coming into the club room not too long after they reformed it, seeing Kanata animatedly talking about her sister and the bento box she made up for her. She could remember the way her heart squeezed when she was describing the food she had so delicately prepared for her sister. Watching her as the club moved back into normalcy, Setsuna found herself admiring Kanata’s silent but strong determination. 

As she sat and watched the blonde dream away, Setsuna felt the familiar clenching of her heart. Kanata already had such soft facial features when awake, but asleep they were much gentler, reminding Setsuna of dough. Setsuna continued to watch her friend sleep the night away, reaching out a hand to move a piece of hair that had fallen in her face. Her fingers tenderly brushing against the blonde’s face as she moved her hair behind her ear. Her hand lingered near the blonde’s face, her fingers just centimeters away. Setsuna blinked and then snatched her hand away, her heart beating like a drum in her chest. Kanata did not move or acknowledge her at all and let out another snore. Her heart still beat, beat, beating away in her chest Setsuna could hear Emma and Karin’s voices outside of the club room. Setsuna’s fingers itched to hold the blondes’ face in her hands, feeling the gentle breath against her palm as she continued to sleep. Moving her head up, she watched as the blonde sleep, not even bothered by the presence next to her. She could hear Karin and Emma’s voices grow closer, so she slid her chair back and out, getting up to grab her training bag from the corner of the room. 

Ever since then, Setsuna had found herself drawn ever closer into the blonde’s orbit, watching as her heart seemed to circle the third year and her antics effortlessly. Her once small crush and admiration bloomed as Kanata reached out to her often, watering and taking care of their relationship. Kanata had started to invite her to lunch a few times a week, which turned into meeting each up to before heading to the clubroom, which then turned into Kanata asking her to join her on her daily naps. At first, Setsuna assumed she was intruding on her personal time, or even the time that Kanata had with the other members of the club. However, sometimes they would be alone for lunch or as they walked to the club, sometimes they would be joined by the others. Kanata’s naps, however, had been an invitation that Setsuna had quickly noticed was offered up to her and her alone. Setsuna had never minded Kanata’s company. She was quiet and soft-spoken with an absolute sparkling sense of humor. Their conversations were easy to start and settle into, but they were always laced with heat and fondness as Kanata’s delicate tone made her joke land that much harder for Setsuna. Sometimes on their nap excursions, Kanata would let Setsuna talk and talk and talk as her eyes closed and Setsuna would start to play with her hair thinking the blonde was asleep. However, the third year continued to startle her as she would repeat things back to her, proving that she was there and paying attention to the onyx haired idol. There was always a warmth that Setsuna could feel nest within her bones, a warmth that she was sure Kanata was the source of. It wasn’t until Kanata had fallen asleep on the couch in the student council room, whispering out _your voice is my favorite lullaby, Setsuna-chan _, that Setsuna was truly able to give a name to the affection that had become rooted in her heart.__

____

Shaking herself out of the memory, Setsuna again squinted against the sun as she walked out into the courtyard. Continuing to walk around, her eyes searched around for the third year. There were plenty of benches to nap on as well as a few places within the grass that Setsuna could see the sleepy school idol staking her territory at. There were also a few people sitting around, in groups or by themselves, in the courtyard, enjoying the late afternoon sun. 

____

It wasn’t long, however, until Setsuna saw familiar blonde locks, resting on a blue bench not too far away from the center of the courtyard. Letting out a soft _oh! _Setsuna let her feet take her closer to the blonde, just barely stopping herself from calling out to her. She knew from experience how hard it was to rouse Kanata from a nap once she was settled in. As she watched the blonde continue to sleep the afternoon away, she realized she should’ve known that Kanata would be here; she had mentioned to Setsuna during lunch last week that the blue bench underneath the biggest tree in the courtyard was one of her favorite places to nap. Kanata had talked in detail about why this particular bench was one of her favorites; from the tree which provided the perfect amount of shade to how close it was to the fountain in the middle of the courtyard, providing the perfect amount of white noise, to the bench length itself. As Setsuna closed in on the sleeping blonde, she noticed that Kanata had taken off her shoes and placed them next to the end of the bench. She let out a soft breath as she watched Kanata’s peaceful face as she continued to sleep, blissfully unaware of Setsuna and the meeting she was soon to be expected at. Kanata let out a small snore and Setsuna felt a tug in her chest and a familiar heat work its way onto her cheeks. Ignoring her blush, Setsuna kneeled in front of the blonde and gently placed her hand on top of Kanata’s shoulder.__

______ _ _

“Kanata…”

______ _ _

The girl underneath her palm let out another small snore in response but made no other movement. Setsuna let out a tiny sigh, a small smile making its way onto her lips as the girl in front of her continued to sleep, undisturbed. She left her hand where it was and gave a gentle shake to Kanata’s shoulder, watching as the third year shifted under the sudden movement. 

______ _ _

“Kanata, please wake up.”

______ _ _

Setsuna watched as Kanata moved underneath her palm, stretching her legs out and letting out a small yawn. She moved into a sitting position and Setsuna noticed that Kanata’s eyes were still closed as she tilted her head slightly to acknowledge her presence. 

______ _ _

“Oh, I’m awake. I’m wiiide awake,” Kanata softly stated, another yawn escaping her lips. 

______ _ _

Setsuna blinked, the smile on her lips growing in size as Kanata continued to keep her eyes closed. She could still feel the pink on her cheeks as she watched the blonde let out yet another yawn, shifting her eyes to her lips. 

______ _ _

“From here it looks like you’re still asleep. Try opening your eyes and moving around some more,” Setsuna asked. 

______ _ _

Kanata quietly shook her head and titled it more to the left, raising her hand to take Setsuna’s that was still left on her shoulder into her own. Kanata gripped Setsuna’s right hand in both of her own and squeezed it, a calm smile moving its way onto her lips. 

______ _ _

“My eyes are open, and my body is moving. See Setsuna-chan, I’m not asleep.”

______ _ _

Setsuna felt the heat in her cheeks increase, looking from Kanata’s peaceful expression down to the hand that Kanata was gracefully holding in-between her own. Feeling as the breath she was about to take settle in her throat, Setsuna could only focus on how smooth Kanata’s hands were and how tenderly she was holding her own like she was made of glass-like she was something to be handled delicately. She noticed that Kanata’s hand was just slightly bigger than her own, but with both of Kanata’s hands cradling her own, they felt tiny. There was a new feeling in her chest, one that longed for Kanata to hold onto her hand for longer, one that wanted Kanata to do this more often. A feeling that which settled into the spaces between her fingers, one that ached to lace their fingers together and squeeze, feeling the heat of Kanata’s palm transfer to her own…

______ _ _

Blinking, Setsuna snapped herself out of her head and looked down to their hands once more before looking back up at Kanata, her face burning like a recently stoked furnace. 

______ _ _

“N-no, you aren’t doing either of those things, Kanata. Your eyes are still closed, and your clothes are all messed up. I-I’m going to fix them if that’s okay?” Setsuna stuttered out, gently pulling her hand out of Kanata’s grasp. 

______ _ _

“Hmm,” Kanata mumbled, as Setsuna placed her hands onto her shoulders and pulling her into a sitting position. 

______ _ _

Setsuna glanced at the blondes’ face as she straightened out her school uniform jacket. She could feel her hands shake along with the non-existent eye contact of the other girl. Kanata let out another hum when Setsuna moved from her jacket to her tie. 

______ _ _

“It’s dark… but my eyes are open,” Kanata stated, flexing her right hand. 

______ _ _

Setsuna let out an indignant stutter as her hands twitched on Kanata’s tie, the blush on her face ever-present. 

______ _ _

“Kanata, your eyes are still closed. Please, wake up!” Setsuna retorted as she made to pull away from Kanata. 

______ _ _

Kanata let out another hum and started to lay down again. However, before her head hit the purple pillow, Kanata reached out for Setsuna again; blindly grabbing at where she assumed Setsuna’s hand was. Shell-shocked, Setsuna froze as Kanata found her right hand again, and proceeded to lace their fingers together and bring their hands closer to her chest. Setsuna stuttered out a response as the blonde once again laid her head down on the pillow that she frequently carried around with her. 

______ _ _

“I’m awake… I’m just sunbathing…” Kanata mumbled out, pulling her knees and her other arm closer to her chest once, moving their inter-laced hands even closer into the blonde’s chest. 

______ _ _

Setsuna let out a nervous chuckle in response, feeling the unforgiving gravity of Kanata, always pulling her closer and closer to the surface. “You are so clearly asleep. I feel bad for waking you up, you looked so comfortable too.”

______ _ _

“You could just let me sleep, then. Okay, Setsuna?” Kanata asked, moving the dark-haired idol’s hand up to her lips. 

______ _ _

She felt herself freeze as Kanata let her lips rest on their laced fingers and giving them a gentle squeeze. She could only watch as Kanata did all of this while not once opening her eyes. The second-year was baffled but unsurprised. Setsuna had felt that this had been inevitable – every lunch they spent together, every time they walked to the clubroom, and every time the blonde fell asleep in the student council room – she knew that this was bound to happen. 

______ _ _

From the start of their meetings, Setsuna would always keep a small distance, just in case Kanata was uncomfortable with the company. She always wanted to keep that distance present whenever her Kanata would spend time together, knowing that the blonde liked her space and alone time. Kanata, in return, would respect Setsuna’s decision and never commented on this small (but oh so obvious) distance between the idols, and for a while, Setsuna was unsure if Kanata even knew she was doing it. It wasn’t until recently that Setsuna noticed that Kanata was trying to bridge that distance, was trying to show Setsuna that her presence was not only comfortable but wanted. She had started to share her bento with Setsuna, walking closer to her and letting her hand brush against the onyx haired idol’s, and moving closer and closer to her as she sat joined Kanata’s nap sessions. Setsuna in return had convinced herself it was in her head, that Kanata was still unsure about Setsuna, flighty around the second year due to the reason she had left the club in the first place. However, Kanata had given her verbal, and now physical, confirmation that this small, but all-encompassing feeling dwelling within her heart was shared. Kanata had always been reaching out for her. 

______ _ _

As Kanata squeezed her hand once more, giving Setsuna’s knuckle a small peck, Setsuna felt her heart give a squeeze in response. The poor thing hadn’t gotten a break since Setsuna found the peaceful sleeping idol, and it just continued to work overtime. The small smile on Kanata’s face gave Setsuna the impression that the blonde knew what she was doing to the poor organ, how Setsuna was currently responding to these small touches, and how she had always been responding to their sense of familiarity and care. 

______ _ _

“I-I’m impressed that y-you’re responding normally, even though your eyes are still closed. Would this count as sleep talking?” Setsuna mumbled out, feeling the heat in her cheeks get worse due to the stutter that she couldn’t mask. 

______ _ _

“Compliments, you’re making me blush…” Kanata mumbled out, again squeezing Setsuna’s hand, which resulted in another small kiss. The small smile that had made a home on Kanata’s lips growing slightly in size. 

______ _ _

Setsuna felt her heart clench again at the soft gestures of love that Kanata was gifting her. Letting out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding, Setsuna softly squeezed Kanata’s hand back, watching as her cheeks lit up pink in color. The dark-haired idol could feel the heat on her cheeks blaze back to life in response to Kanata blushing. Giving Kanata’s hand another small squeeze, she moved to sit cross-legged in front of the blonde. 

______ _ _

“I’ll stay with you until you wake up. It’s quite nice outside and I’m getting sleepy myself,” Setsuna responded, using her left hand to cover her mouth as she let out a small yawn. 

______ _ _

Setsuna moved closer to the bench that Kanata had deemed her king-sized bed and felt her move back slightly to make room for the dark-haired idol’s head to rest. Setsuna could feel the heat on her face flare up again as this small gesture made her heart pound away in her chest. With one last look at the blonde, who was now much closer than before, Setsuna sat her head down on the bench, just under Kanata’s chest. She let out another yawn, feeling a small kiss being pressed to her nose as she drifted off into a nap, pleased and happy with present company.

______ _ _


End file.
